


Splinter

by pyrokenesis (platformfires)



Category: 12 Monkeys (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-08 16:43:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4312626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/platformfires/pseuds/pyrokenesis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cole is pretty rough after coming back from his first splinter to 2015. Ramse is worried and takes care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Filler piece for 1.01. I've wanted to write something like this for a while.

Ramse waited in the hall outside the conference room, anxiously pacing up and down. Cole was in for de-briefing after his first journey back to 2015 and he wasn't a part of the mission. He knew he was only here because Cole insisted upon it but sometimes he wished they would let him get involved. Cole was his brother and he wanted him to be safe. Maybe that’s why they told him to sit out. He worried about Cole and it could impair his decisions which wouldn't be helpful to the mission. He didn't care about the mission, though, he cared about Cole. He had pretty much fallen out of the chair when he got back and Ramse had helped him to the infirmary. The doctors checked him over and, physically, he was apparently fine but Ramse wasn’t entirely convinced.

It had seemed like such a great idea to do this. They were being fed, taken care of; they had a mattress and sheets and weren’t always looking over their shoulders for scavs. Somehow, though, it felt like something here was...off. How did Jones know this thing was safe? Had there been failed attempts? What had happened to her test subjects? What kind of lasting effect would this have? Maybe it didn’t matter. If Cole completed his mission then this whole place would get erased. He would never have met Cole in the first place.

Ramse caught Cole’s eye and shot him a glance as if to say _hurry up._ Cole looked back apologetically. Ramse nodded and continued pacing. He wondered what it was like in 2015; he remembered more than Cole probably did but a teenager’s perception of the world is always different. Besides, people tended to romanticize the past. The first thing Cole would probably go for is the food. Cole loved food and their options had always been scarce. He hoped he’d managed to treat himself to something good.

He needed to know Cole was okay. He’d been so anxious beforehand, a side that only Ramse had seen and something they had kept hidden from Jones. Would she have made him go through with this if she knew? There were so many questions and he knew he wouldn’t get any answers. He glanced into the room again and saw that everyone was starting to stand up. Finally, they could get some alone time.

Cole greeted Ramse with a weak smile. He looked exhausted. Instead of making a joke he wrapped his arm around his brother’s shoulder and started to pull him away.

“Sorry, man,” he shrugged lazily. His voice was quiet and shaky still. “She wouldn’t stop talkin’” he added with a laugh.

Ramse smiled. Normally he would make a joke about how terrible Cole looked but he knew it wasn’t the time for that. Instead he shook his head.

“C’mon, you gotta get some rest,” he said quietly.

Cole nodded and let out a sigh.

“Right,” he mumbled.

*

Cole had managed to make it back to their room but collapsed on the bed as soon as the door was closed. Ramse watched his movements; they were slow stiff; every now and then he would flinch as though he was still in pain. Maybe in time Cole would get used to it. Like exercise. The more you do it the tougher you become.

Ramse threw his jacket into the armchair and sat on the edge of Cole’s bed. He had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply. He didn’t say anything for a while. He didn’t know what _to_ say. Cole obviously wasn’t doing well and asking him how he was would have been pointless. Cole moved his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose and let out a long shaky breath. Ramse felt a stab of guilt. It was he who had convinced Cole this was a good idea. Cole had wanted to run but he wouldn’t let him. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill every last person in this place to get them both out if Cole changed his mind, but it was too late now. He watched his brother lay, exhausted and in pain, knowing he was powerless to do anything about it. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat.

“You wanna talk about it?” he asked quietly.

Cole kept his hand in place and shook his head.

“Not now,” he sighed. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut again.

Ramse stayed silent again for a while. Even if they did talk about it, it wouldn’t change anything. Cole would still have to go through this time and time again and by the looks of things it would only get worse. He wished there was something, anything, he could do to make this go away.

“I just want to sleep,” Cole slurred. He could feel his eyes rolling back into his head.

Ramse nodded. He stood up from the bed and made his way across the room.

“Where you goin’?” Cole chuckled. His voice was weak. He coughed a few times and tried to sit up. Ramse rushed back to his side and lowered him back down.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

Cole didn’t answer, just smirked and patted the side of the bed closest to the edge.

Ramse laughed quietly. “Just like old times,” he smiled. Cole smirked.

He stood up again and went to the foot of the bed. He untied Cole’s boots and set them down on the floor. He had changed from the suit he arrived back in and was now in sweats and his favourite red hoodie.  He started to pull off the sweats and heard Cole laugh a little, followed by more coughing. He nudged Cole’s leg gently and rolled his eyes. At least he was wearing underwear this time.

Ramse stepped away and watched Cole shift and twitch, every now and then flinching in pain. He felt another rush of guilt for letting this happen. He should’ve pulled Cole from that chair and made a run for it instead. Cole opened his eyes, still drowsy, and looked up at his brother standing over him.

“Think you can sit up for a minute? You’ll boil in that thing,” he chuckled as he gestured to the hoodie.

“Admit it, you just want me in my underwear,” Cole teased. He smiled weakly and swallowed, blinking slowly. He looked like he was about to drift off any moment now.

“You got me, buddy,” he smiled.

Cole took a deep breath and sat up. Ramse started to pull his shirt up. Cole giggled when his hand made contact with his stomach; he’d always been ticklish just above the waistband of his underwear. It was something Ramse had taken advantage of on more than one occasion.

“Arms up,” he instructed.

Cole complied.

As soon as Ramse was done, he fell back onto the bed and sighed. His eyes were closed and his breathing was starting to slow.

“Thanks man,” he muttered.

“No problem, brother.”

“Now get into bed with me,” he smiled.

Ramse laughed and started pulling off his own boots. He watched Cole drifting off to sleep and felt butterflies in his stomach. This wasn’t the first time they’d slept together and he knew it wouldn’t be the last. Cole was the only one he could count on and he’d to whatever it took to make him comfortable. Besides, it's not like he didn't enjoy it.

He climbed over to the side nearest the wall; Cole preferred to sleep on the outside. It was cramped but that just meant he’d probably wake up with Cole on top of him which he didn’t mind. Cole was very affectionate in his sleep. He usually woke up with Cole’s hair tickling his neck and his arms around his waist.

He pulled the blanket over them both before pressing a gentle kiss to Cole’s cheek and relaxing into the pillow.

He felt Cole’s fingers creep across his palm and take hold of his hand. Ramse couldn't help but smile to himself. He squeezed back lightly.

“Sleep well, brother,” he whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

Ramse had barely slept all night. Cole had been tossing and turning for the most of it and that combined with his frantic worrying over his brother had kept him awake. Ramse had soothed Cole back to sleep each time he woke up shaking; he would press gentle kisses to Cole’s forehead and lightly traced patterns on his skin. It always did the trick for Cole, but he couldn’t manage to calm himself. He just hoped it wouldn’t always be like this when he’d splintered.

When he woke up the next morning, apparently having drifted off at some point, he felt the bed beside him was empty. He opened his eyes quickly and saw that the blanket had been kicked onto the floor, and there was no sign of Cole anywhere in the room. He shot out of bed, calling for his brother, and saw the bathroom door was ajar. There was heaving and grunting coming from inside and felt his stomach drop. He thought sleep would do the trick.

He rushed into the room to see Cole with his head in the toilet and holding his stomach. He was covered in sweat and his hair was sticking to his forehead. His hands were shaking and he was breathing heavily.

“Shit,” Ramse said under his breath. He kneeled down next to his brother and pulled his hair back. It was wet, and he then saw Cole’s eyes were heavy.

“Thanks,” He groaned.

Ramse kept a hold of his hair while he heaved again, but nothing came up. There was nothing left in his stomach now but his body was still feeling the need to empty itself. Ramse hated seeing him like this.

He stroked Cole’s back slowly and gently to try to soothe him. Ramse was used to seeing him covered in blood but there was always a way to fix that. He couldn’t fix this and it made him uneasy. He’d always been there for Cole and now all he could do was show his brother that he was here for him. Until the effects wore off, he was powerless. There was no telling how long this would last, or how long it would be before Jones would send him away again. The doctors had said he was fine but this was clearly not okay. Surely she wouldn’t send him while he was like this?

Ramse was lost without Cole. They’d been together for most of their lives and he was very protective of him. He didn’t belong here and without Cole he felt like he wasn’t welcome. He’d spend most of the time away from the compound, wandering around in the hope it would take his mind off his loneliness. No-one had spoken to him when Cole was gone. They hadn’t been separated like this in years and he’d forgotten what it was like. He would probably get used to it as it happened more frequently.

He  was glad to have his brother back but not in this state. If it was up to him he’d be carrying Cole out of this place, a gun in his hand, breaking them both out. This was Cole’s choice, though, and he had already committed to the mission. There was no backing out now.

Cole had stopped dry heaving and was trying to slow his breathing. His lips were quivering and his eyes looked like they would roll back into his head at any moment. Ramse took off the string he’d had tied around his wrist and used it to pull Cole’s hair back. Cole settled in Ramse’s arms, keeping his head against his chest. Ramse pressed a kiss to his forehead and wrapped his arms around his brother.

“Jamie,” he whispered.

To his surprise, Cole laughed weakly. He then coughed a couple of times and groaned.

“No-one’s called me that since we were kids,” he sighed.

Ramse chuckled. “Sorry.”

“No,” Cole said slowly. “It’s nice.”

Ramse saw a smile creep across his lips but it vanished a second later. Cole’s breathing was starting to slow to a regular rate now. Close-up, Ramse saw the bags under his eyes. He sighed and squeezed Cole closer for a moment.

“Thanks for always taking care of me,” Cole slurred.

“No problem, buddy,” Ramse replied quietly.

They stayed still for a long moment. Cole was still shaking and his body was tense. Ramse broke the silence.

“Think you can make it back to bed?” He asked.

He felt Cole shake his head against his chest.

“Mmkay,” he whispered. He slid one of his arms under Cole’s legs and the other around his waist. “Hold on tight, I got you.”

Cole wrapped his arms around Ramse’s neck and held on as tightly as he could. He closed his eyes and buried his head in Ramse’s neck.

He could feel Cole’s breath against his neck and it took every ounce of energy not to drop him. He felt so weak around him sometimes. There were goosebumps on his arms and took a deep breath. He had to stay strong for his brother.

He carefully set Cole down on the bed again and grabbed the blanket from the floor. He kneeled down beside him and used it to mop up some of the sweat from his forehead.

Cole swallowed and let out a sigh. His hands were still shaking a little and his entire body felt like it was burning. He thought this was probably his anxiety rather than the splintering, but the two seemed to go hand in hand now.

*

Ramse sat on the edge of his bed across from Cole’s, watching his brother twitch and shiver every now and then. He’d been drifting in and out of sleep for the last hour and Ramse had no idea what to do. Should he fetch a doctor? Was this normal? Was he having a bad reaction to the splintering? What the hell had Jones injected him with? Was his body rejecting it?

Cole jumped awake and immediately sat up straight. Ramse darted to his side. His hair had fallen out of its messy ponytail and was hanging in his face.

“You okay?” He asked. He felt a little silly for asking, considering what Cole had been through the last few days, but he knew Cole would tell him the truth. He brushed his hair behind his ear and cradled his jaw for a moment before pulling away.

“I think so,” Cole nodded. He was sweating again and his eyes were wide open. His breathing was deep and slow.

Ramse sat on the edge of the bed beside him. He looked down at Cole’s hands but he’d hidden them under the sheets. He could tell Ramse was already worried and he didn’t want to make it any worse.

Ramse lifted the blanket and saw that they were scratched and shaking. He’d obviously done it in his sleep. A flicker of pain shot across his face but he tried to hide it. He shook his head and met Cole’s eyes.

“Cole,” he choked.

“It’s fine,” he mumbled.

“No, it’s not,” he sighed. “I hate seeing you like this.”

Cole looked away. Ramse took a hold of Cole’s hand and placed soft kisses to the scratches.

“Talk to me,” he pleaded. “Tell me how it feels.”

Cole frowned and pulled his hands away.

“Why?” he mumbled.

Ramse sighed. “I don’t know,” he shrugged. He took hold of Cole’s hands again and traced circles on his palm. It always calmed him down. Cole could already feel the anxiety leaving his body. He relaxed his shoulders and nodded.

 “It’s like,” he started, closing his eyes. “After the injection your skin starts tingling...like...prickling. Everything starts to feel a hazy like it’s all slipping away. The world slows down. It’s like running on auto-pilot, like you’re here but you’re not really. When the machine starts up-” his voice cracked.

He couldn’t think of how to describe exactly how it felt. His stomach turned at the memory of the moment he’d disappeared. He paused for a second while he tried to find the words to say. He could feel Ramse’s eyes on him and it made his chest feel tight.

“When the machine starts,” he repeated. “It’s like a magnet. Like the air around you is vibrating. It’s like something is under your skin trying to get out, but something’s pushing it back in at the same time.”

Ramse shook his head. He could tell Cole was getting to the worst part by the change in his voice again. He was quiet, he sounded scared.

“The moment it happens, it’s like something’s exploded inside of you but can’t get out. Everything goes dark for a few seconds and you forget where you are. It’s like being in between asleep and awake. It’s like you’re being pulled inside out and back to normal again, like every part of your body is being stretched out and rearranged and put back together. It all happened so fast. Then I woke up in 2015.”

Ramse sat in silence for a minute trying to process it all. Cole couldn’t look at him and his hands were shaking again. He could tell this was terrifying him already. Perhaps that was the explanation for last night; he’d had nightmares again.

His eyes looked empty all of a sudden and he was frozen in place.

Ramse shifted closer and pulled Cole into his chest. He wrapped his arms around him completely and held him tight. It took Cole a while to snap out of it and realize what was happening. He wrapped his arms around Ramse’s waist and rested his head on his brother’s shoulder.

“Sorry,” he muttered. He liked the feeling of Ramse close like this. He felt safe, like nothing in the world could get him. They’d always been together and fought side by side, and this was just another battle; it was one they would face together. He could feel the fear and anxiety starting to drain away, but his heart was still thudding in his chest.

“Don’t be,” Ramse replied quickly. He pulled away and cradled Cole’s cheeks in his hands. He could see the tears starting to well up in his eyes and swallowed hard.

Instead of continuing he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Cole’s lips.

“I’m with you not matter what, buddy,” He smiled. “Just say the word and this is all over.”

Cole forced a smile and sniffed.

“You want to stop, I’ll break us out.”

Cole shook his head. “It’s too late for that,” he mumbled. He looked away but Ramse pulled him back. He let his hands drop to hold Cole’s and squeezed them for a second.

“Jamie,” he started. Cole flinched at the use of his name again; it had been so long since anyone had called him that. Only Ramse could get away with it. “I mean it.”

Cole nodded and sniffed again. “Okay,” he mumbled. Ramse let go of his hands and started to stand up. His eyes shot up and he watched his brother make his way back to his own bed. He took a sharp breath in and Ramse noticed. He smirked and licked his lips.

“You wan-“ he started.

“Please,” Cole grumbled. He still felt a little uneasy; he was still unsure whether it was the splintering or the anxiety, but he didn’t feel good. He lay back down and closed his eyes.

Ramse jumped into the bed next to him and wrapped his arms around his waist, closing the space between their bodies.

“Thanks,” Cole muttered, returning his embrace.

Ramse didn’t reply, just squeezed him tighter and rubbed his hand back and forth across his stomach. Strangely, it calmed him down.

“No problem, brother,” he whispered.


End file.
